Republicans in the Iowa House threatened to pull the entire mental health omnibus bill from the floor today to kill debate and a vote on a Democratic amendment on “extreme risk protective orders” that could keep guns out of the hands of potential mass shooters or suicidal individuals.

Representative Art Staed of Cedar Rapids offered up H-8117 as an amendment to HF 2456, a wide-ranging mental health omnibus bill. It would have implemented a process in which a court could have considered removing weapons from the possession of someone deemed a “significant danger” to themselves or others in the “near future.”

This amendment from Rep. Art Staed was a common sense addition to a major mental health bill that has bi-partisan support. Yes, guns are a divisive issue, but when we are talking mental health and community safety, there can be no doubt, we have an obligation to protect all our citizens.

This amendment, which was subsequently pulled after its introduction, would have allowed loved ones to petition a court to remove firearms for a pre-determined period of time for the protection of the individual and those near them.

My hope is that during this campaign we can have an honest conversation about mental health and how we can protect all citizens from senseless crimes committed with the aid of firearms.